The present invention relates to an ice fishing equipment storage box and, more particularly, to such a box especially adapted to individually store each of a number of collapsed or folded tip-ups and to also separately store most of the remaining tackle and equipment normally used for ice fishing.
As is well known in the sport of ice fishing, unique types of fishing tackle and equipment are utilized which are not normally used when fishing in open water. Included in this particularly specialized equipment are tip-ups, an ice scoop, and jig poles, the latter often used by a fisherman in lieu of a tip-up to actively work a single hole in the ice. Otherwise, the ice fisherman also utilizes the more or less conventional tackle, such as hooks, line, leaders, sinkers and baits, used in open water fishing as well. The equipment unique to ice fishing is notoriously cumbersome and somewhat difficult to store. In addition and unlike most open water fishing, ice fishing results in an accumulation of ice on the tip-ups, tackle and other equipment. As a result, the storage and transport of ice fishing tip-ups and related equipment has usually not been addressed in an organized manner and water which accumulates from melted ice often results in added inconvenience and problems. In addition, ice fishermen also often fish in the same location on a regular basis because, for example, the fisherman may operate from a more or less permanently stationed fishing shanty. In this case, the same or closely adjacent fishing holes in the ice may also be reused on a regular basis. In such situations, the fishermen will preferably fish at approximately the same depth and, if the lines on the tip-ups must be rewound or reeled up at the end of each fishing day, the fishermen will have to recheck and reset the depth when the tip-ups are next used even though the fishermen may again be fishing at the same depth. Also, winding the line and subsequently resetting the depth are tasks which fishermen would typically like to eliminate, if possible, because of the generally adverse conditions of cold weather in which ice fishing is usually done.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,329 shows a fishing tackle box particularly adapted to store disassembled fishing rods, and the reels and other tackle commonly used in open water fishing. One of the primary purposes of this fishing tackle box is to hold the fishing rod sections in a manner such that they are separated from one another and immobile during transport to prevent damaging shocks or the like. This is typically not a problem with ice fishing equipment and the prior art tackle box also does not address the other storage and environmental problems which are unique to ice fishing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,125,856; 2,242,059; and 2,763,957 all disclose storage boxes for small items of fishing tackle, such as hooks, hook and leader combinations, and lures and baits, each of which boxes includes separating compartments and a cover which engages the upper edges of the compartments when closed to completely segregate individual items of tackle stored therein. In this manner, leaders, hooks and the like are prevented from becoming tangled with those in other compartments.
There is a real need for a storage box which addresses the storage problems of ice fishing tip-ups and related equipment, is capable of conveniently storing all such equipment, addresses the special problems of ice and the like unique to ice fishing, and allows ice fishermen to store collapsed tip-ups without the necessity of winding the line and losing the depth setting. Such a storage box should also separately accommodate other types of equipment to avoid tangling with loose lines or the like and in a manner in which it is readily accessible when needed.